Roku 2 vs Boxee

Review of Roku 2 XS vs Boxee

These days, cable prices are gradually becoming more and more expensive. Because of this, people have no choice but find other alternatives. One great alternative is a media box. There are different types of media boxes available in the market today. Below, we are going to compare the Roku 2 XS and the Boxee.

What To Expect From Boxee

Boxee Streaming Player

Price

The price is very affordable. In fact, you can have it for free if you computer is already connected to your television through other devices. The only thing you have to do to use the Boxee is to download its software. Downloading will allow you to access different channels available on Boxee. If your computer is not yet connected to your TV, you will have to buy a Boxee hardware which is priced at $180.

Content

Boxee offers a lot of media content. You can watch a lot of TV shows and access a wide variety of movies from its movie library. However, you may have to pay for some channels before you can watch videos on them. You can also use your Boxee to watch Netflix, Vudu and Spotify videos. One thing you cannot have from Boxee though is Hulu. Nevertheless, you can still access a wide range of videos including sports videos.

Remote Control

The remote control of the Boxee media box is super. On the front side, the remote has straightforward and easy to understand buttons that will allow you to use the box with great ease. On the back side, there is a QWERTY keyboard that will allow you to easily search for movies by typing the titles or keywords.

Key Features

The good thing about Boxee is that it gives you two options to stream videos on your TV. First, you can connect your computer to the TV and download the software. Second, you can purchase the actual hardware then connect it to the internet and your TV to start streaming videos. One of the best things about Boxee is the fact that it offers a whole new set of features that are not available in other media boxes. For instance, you can share the videos you are watching with your friends on Facebook and Twitter with your Boxee. It also includes two USB ports which will allow you to watch videos from other devices. One advantage this device has over Roku 2 XS is the fact that it can open and play a lot more file formats than the latter. The interface also looks nice and is easy to use.

What To Expect From Roku 2 XS

Price

Roku is relatively cheaper. You can get one for as low as $59.99. The highest priced one, which is the Roku 2 XS, costs $99.99. In the future, Roku is thinking about launching a stick version.

Content

Roku 2 XS is great if you love watching a variety of videos. It offers more channels than any other media box because it has been in the industry for years. In fact, you can browse up to 400 channels including Hulu with your Roku device. However, if you are a YouTube lover, you will just be disappointed as Roku does not support YouTube channels.

Remote Control

Roku 2 XS has a very cool remote control. Its remote has a motion-control feature that is very similar to that of Wii. If you love playing Wii games, you will be delighted to find the same experience with your Roku device. However, the only game available at present for this kind of feature is the Angry Birds. Another great thing about the remote control is that it uses Bluetooth instead of infrared. Bluetooth is better because you can use the remote even if it is away from the hardware unlike the infrared where you have to point the remote to the hardware for it to work.

Key Features

Roku started out as a Netflix device only. Today, it offers a wide variety of channels to its users. It also allows users to transfer and watch media files from the computer to the television with its USB port. However, the file formats it supports are still a bit limited to date. The social media capability of Roku 2 XS is also not yet integrated. Unfortunately, you cannot connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts yet to this device. The interface is simple and basic. One advantage it has over Boxee is its price. Price-wise, the Roku hardware is much cheaper than the Boxee hardware. It is expandable and upgradeable. The setup is very easy as well.

Roku 2 vs Boxee Box – Which One To Choose

Both devices have their advantages and disadvantages. Choosing between the two is entirely up to your personal preferences. If you love social media and you want to integrate it to your TV streaming, you need to choose Boxee. If your computer is already connected to the TV, Boxee is also a better choice because you do not have to buy the hardware anymore. When it comes to simplicity, Roku 2 XS is a better choice because it is easy to setup and easy to use. If you love Hulu, you can also get it from a Roku device only.